"Think about how much you can hurt people, their memories, the plight of their people, when you choose a theme to 'spice up' a happy moment in your life," said Brazilian singer Elza Soares in an Instagram post.

Ms Meirelles apologised in a now-deleted statement on Instagram. She added that the women's clothes were traditional Bahian party dress and the chair was a relic from the Afro-Brazilian folk religion candomblé.

On Wednesday, she announced her resignation in a separate post.

"At age 50, it's time for action. I've heard a lot, I need to hear more," she said.

Vogue also issued an apology for the incident, saying it "deeply regrets what happened and hopes that the debate generated will serve as a learning experience."

The fashion magazine also said it would form a panel of experts and academics to address concerns about inequality at the publication.

This is the third racially-charged incident Vogue has apologised for this year.